Does experience shape our doctrine

[Fez]

Does present and past experience shape our doctrine and faith?

I know faith is faith, but how we apply it, and how we view scripture; does this affect our doctrine, our walk?

For instance, those of us who have served in the armed services and seen combat? Do we look at scripture about killing in a different light from those whom have never hid in a ditch full of water for cover while your buddies scream around you?

Or those of us who have had the privilege of serving the poorest communities on outreach?

Does church and the teaching we receive broaden our knowledge? Does choosing, or not being able to attend a church, and being insular in our walk, make a difference?

Does just stuffing ourselves with the word, without going out there and applying it as commanded by Jesus, make us "fat" Christians, full of talk but light on our walk?

So. Does present and past experience shape our doctrine and faith?

[nebula]

I'd say yes. How we experience life and how the Scripture is applied to our lives influence how we interpret Scriptures.

Someone who has been to Israel and seen the places mentioned in the Bible will have a different perspective on the account given than one who has not been there.

That's a crude example, but it is one nonetheless.

[Fez]

I'd say yes. How we experience life and how the Scripture is applied to our lives influence how we interpret Scriptures.

Someone who has been to Israel and seen the places mentioned in the Bible will have a different perspective on the account given than one who has not been there.

That's a crude example, but it is one nonetheless.

I tend to agree, but wonder if it is a good or a bad thing.

What I mean is that there is one Word, one Truth, and don't we tend to look at it, individually, from different angles. Even if our motives are pure (by this I mean not for self advancement or monetary gain for instance).

I think a lot of the disagreements and diametrically opposed views we have here on Worthy (and hence elsewhere I guess), could be traced back to our past circumstances that shaped us as individuals.

Until you have been hit over the head by a baseball bat (as a crude example), you cannot talk about how it actually feels, but you can venture an opinion....

[gdemoss]

Does present and past experience shape our doctrine and faith?

I came to faith by experience not doctrine so I say absolutely. What I found though was that reading scripture defined my previous experience for me. What I thought happened for a particular reason ended up being defined differently by the scriptures upon my receiving them and my understanding was enlightened.

I know faith is faith, but how we apply it, and how we view scripture; does this affect our doctrine, our walk?

I would say it is both for me. Romans 7 comes to mind. I read repeatedly about the law working in my members bringing me into captivity and about serving God with the mind. My experience in life learning about my spirit versus my flesh helped me identify what this scripture was teaching and thus give me the victory when sin rears its ugly head trying to bring me into captivity. I believe as I was learning about this the Spirit guided me both into and out of certain temptations that gave me a clear picture of how to win the battle.

For instance, those of us who have served in the armed services and seen combat? Do we look at scripture about killing in a different light from those whom have never hid in a ditch full of water for cover while your buddies scream around you?

I am quite sure it would be different.

Or those of us who have had the privilege of serving the poorest communities on outreach?

Good question.

Does church and the teaching we receive broaden our knowledge? Does choosing, or not being able to attend a church, and being insular in our walk, make a difference?

Absolutely! I spent a few years in a church growing as God had parked me there for that purpose. I learned a lot because they had a lot of truth. But in the end, God told me to leave due to the deadly heresy that I became aware of that was subtly put into each message. I spent the last year alone with the bible and the Holy Spirit as God did not lead me to join myself to another church body but rather kept me, as he did Paul, separate while he taught me. My prayer life took off. My desire to eat the word catapulted. My desire to love others increased immensely. My thirst for this world and the things of this world died. I plan to attend church and be a part of a local body as soon as God leads me to one. He brought me here, I trust he will take me there.

Does just stuffing ourselves with the word, without going out there and applying it as commanded by Jesus, make us "fat" Christians, full of talk but light on our walk?

I wonder if that would be the case. I find that as I fill up, I need an outlet. Becoming filled with the spirit of God moves me to action. I feel the necessity to seek out others and interact with them for the purpose of edification. I don't see how someone can just stuff themselves and not go out to do something.

So. Does present and past experience shape our doctrine and faith?

I believe it does. One of the most interesting things about my conversion was my anticipation of debating the one bringing the gospel to me. Five years previous to this man showing up, I had looked up and prayed for help. I spent five years getting to know God without a bible. Just me, him and prayer. I prayed and he moved heaven and earth to make things happen for me. I got a quick understanding of his sovereignty. I studied him and tried to follow the bread crumb trail he left for me as best I could. One day when I heard that there was some hotshot religious man running around our plant 'giving the gospel', I was arrogant and wanted to put him in his place because "I knew God!". I had no idea what would happen next. The day came and I got my chance to give it to him. We spent 45 minutes discussing the things of God and to my surprise we pretty much had the same God. And I thought I was really going to give this guy a real understanding of God (heh). In the end, we had to agree to disagree on one point, Jesus. I didn't have nor did I need a Jesus with my God. But it wasn't that easy. The law of God written on my heart wouldn't leave me alone. Two days later I came to the understanding that God just introduced himself to me. I fell upon my face a wept bitterly.

My experience with God in life has definitely shaped my doctrine. I knew his love first hand before I even knew his name. The man who gave me the gospel shared with me a couple years later that I was the first person he ever met that he truly thought was possessed with a devil. I admit that from the moment I received Christ I was free from something that had me bound. Be it a devil or sin, I was freed.

I love our God.

Gary

[Zemke]

Paul prayed may your love abound more and more with real knowledge and all discernment. Phill. 1:9 The word there is experientual knowledge. I think our experiences help us with a deeper understanding of what is written and yes build our faith. But doctrine is what we put into practice and experience. We have to have knowledge of Gods word but not for just knowledge sake but to being doers of the word and not hearers only.

The charismatic movement got all crazy because they based their doctrines on experience. The churches that had a foundation of biblical doctrine are the ones that have survived and for the most part are still solid today, like Calvary Chapels.

I think the Emergent Church is even more nuts. Completely subjective.

[Guest shiloh357]

I'd say yes. How we experience life and how the Scripture is applied to our lives influence how we interpret Scriptures.

Someone who has been to Israel and seen the places mentioned in the Bible will have a different perspective on the account given than one who has not been there.

That's a crude example, but it is one nonetheless.

I tend to agree, but wonder if it is a good or a bad thing.

What I mean is that there is one Word, one Truth, and don't we tend to look at it, individually, from different angles. Even if our motives are pure (by this I mean not for self advancement or monetary gain for instance).

I think a lot of the disagreements and diametrically opposed views we have here on Worthy (and hence elsewhere I guess), could be traced back to our past circumstances that shaped us as individuals.

Until you have been hit over the head by a baseball bat (as a crude example), you cannot talk about how it actually feels, but you can venture an opinion....

The way we view the Bible is affected by our past and present situation. We all what is known as a paradigm, which is a frame of reference, or our perspective on reality. It operatres quietly in the background of our mind, but it is our paradigm that causes us to think that the way we see things are the way things really are.

We bring that paradigm to the Scriptures quite often. Two people can come to the same set of Scritpure and walk away to entirely different perspectives, not because the data they view is different, but the perspectives they bring to the data determines what they take away from it.

The Lord will minister/apply a scrtpure passage to you in a way that meets a particular need in your life,but minister/apply the same passasge to me that meets a different need. We view the same passage through a different lense based on the need that it addressed. Neither of us is right or wrong in those cases. It's just that it was ministered to us differently. It's what the Bible refers to as the manifold (multi-sided) wisdom of God.

Our experiece can and to some degree should shape how we apply certain passages, but it should NEVER govern how we interpret Scripture. INerpretation is an objective act that is based on objective, not subjective data. What I mean in terms of "experiences" is things like how our parents treated us, our childhood, times when we were bullied or made fun of, or times when we were betrayed, lied to, mistreated, abused or whatever. Good or bad, our experiences cannot serve as a reliable means of understanding God's Word or God for that matter.

[OneLight]

This is a tough question, Brother. At first, my thought was "Of Course!". Then I started thinking about how some experiences can deceive and thought again about the depth of the question. I know for one that my past has helped me understand how to use scripture in my life, but I am not fully convinced that it shaped my doctrine or my faith. I am sure it has taken me places where God pointed something special out to me that has.

I will need a lot more time to consider your question.

[OneLight]

Yet, when we have a vision, it changes us. When we are healed, it changes us. When we have an answer to prayer, it changes us. These are all life experiences.

[nebula]

The majority of the Bible is a record of experiences.

[oldzimm]

Does present and past experience shape our doctrine and faith?

I know faith is faith, but how we apply it, and how we view scripture; does this affect our doctrine, our walk?

For instance, those of us who have served in the armed services and seen combat? Do we look at scripture about killing in a different light from those whom have never hid in a ditch full of water for cover while your buddies scream around you?

Or those of us who have had the privilege of serving the poorest communities on outreach?

Does church and the teaching we receive broaden our knowledge? Does choosing, or not being able to attend a church, and being insular in our walk, make a difference?

Does just stuffing ourselves with the word, without going out there and applying it as commanded by Jesus, make us "fat" Christians, full of talk but light on our walk?

So. Does present and past experience shape our doctrine and faith?

Good post Fez.

Our Preacher spoke about this topic during a sermon a few weeks back.

Basically our life experience should not interpret scripture, but scripture tells us how we should conduct ourselves during life's experiences.